


silence

by greedlings



Series: badthingshappenbingo [5]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Minor Julia Burnsides/Magnus Burnsides, based in magnus' backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23088697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greedlings/pseuds/greedlings
Summary: Magnus finally had Kalen within his reach, but there was no way he could have guessed what would've happened.
Series: badthingshappenbingo [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643200
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	silence

**Author's Note:**

> this is the fifth installment of my badthingshappenbingo card! a friend requested magnus burnsides + human shield and OH was i happy about that one.
> 
> if you want to req something for yourself head over to @/greedlings_ on twitter and check my pinned! i'm also participating in a fluff bingo hosted by a writing server i'm in, if you dig a bit you should be able to find that if your feeling like reqing some fluff instead!

Magnus stared the governor down, watching his every movement; the gentle lift and fall of his coat, pressed and adorned with jewels and badges the man should have never earned. There was a playful malice on Kalen’s face, as if he was _daring_ Magnus to make his move. He was empty-handed, his back towards the door of Hammer and Tongs, and Magnus _so_ _badly_ wanted to rush the man, but he had a gun in his pocket and Magnus knew that if he moved even an inch towards the governor he’d be shot before Magnus could take more than two steps.

And so they stood, staring at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. There was no sound but the soft, hollow sound of shallow breaths from either man, as if even the spinning dust that Magnus could see in the moonbeams that shone through the display window of the shop were anxiously awaiting the inevitable fight.

And then the small bell at the door rang, singing through the silence, announcing that someone was entering the shop. It was just enough of a distraction; Kalen’s attention waned for a millisecond, leaving him wide open and distracted. Without worry for whoever had just entered the shop, Magnus charged, his whittling knife grasped firmly in his hand. Kalen wouldn’t have enough time to draw his gun, meaning Magnus had an easy kill.

As Magnus rushed in, Julia entered the shop; she had pushed the door open with her back, a load of wood stacked neatly in her arms. Magnus had no time to even think of stopping, of warning Julia about the governor before Kalen spun around, grasping Julia by the shoulders. Julia dropped the logs in surprise, and as they clattered to the floor in an awful cacophonous choir, breaking the deafening silence. A small yelp from Julia followed the logs hitting the floor, but was cut short when Kalen spun again, facing Magnus once again as he pulled his gun from his side. He held Julia between himself and Magnus, gun to her head and crooked grin on his face. 

Magnus slid to a stop in front of Julia, not a moment too soon; his knife hovered  _ so close _ to Julia’s throat, the tip nearly grazing her jugular. Fear and confusion swam through her irises, only strengthened by the sight of Magnus hanging over her, knife in hand and malice in his eyes--though that quickly dissipated once Magnus realized that his knife was hovering over Julia, not Kalen.

He stepped back with no hesitation, his knuckles turning white against the hilt of his knife. “Let. Her.  _ Go. _ ”

Kalen’s laugh pierced through the silence that still hung thick and viscous in the air, sending a blood-curling shiver down Magnus’ spine, “Worried about your precious woman, Burnsides?” The way Magnus’ last name rolled off of Kalen’s tongue, as if the name itself was an insult meant to wound Magnus’ pride, made bile rise in his throat. “No… no, I don’t think I  _ will _ let her go.”

“I said let her  _ go. _ ” His fingernails dug into the flesh of his thumb as Magnus forced the words from his throat.

“Or what, Burnsides? You’ll rush in as always, hoping to catch me with your knife before I send a bullet through your precious Julia’s head?”

Julia shook her head as much as she dared between Kalen’s gun and his grasp, “Stand down, Magnus.”

Magnus’ grip on his knife tightened.

“I’d listen if I were you, Burnsides. I’m only here to talk.”

Magnus exhaled through his nose, doing his best to vent the rage that burned through his body. He didn’t want to stand down.

And yet he loosened his grip on the whittling knife, letting it fall to the floor with a gentle clattering sound. Kalen’s smirk grew into a twisted grin as he watched Magnus step back and cross his arms, angry heat still burning behind his irises.

“Let her go now. I pose no threat.”

Kalen shrugged, “I don’t know, Burnsides. I quite like having… an  _ extra defense _ , if you will.”

Something tugged at Magnus’ chest, a mix of panic and pure fury that Magnus was sure he’d never felt before spreading through his body, boiling his blood and chilling his veins.

“And I’d quite like to  _ slit your damn throat _ .”

“ _ Magnus, _ ” Julia whispered, a desperate sharpness in her voice. He broke his stare with the governor, letting his eyes fall down to look at Julia. She motioned down with her eyes, at the arm around her neck, and it was only then that Magnus noticed how weak Kalen’s grasp on Julia was.

He almost had to laugh.

But he didn’t; instead, he returned his eyes to Kalen’s, his glare just as hard and full of hatred as it had been before.

“What do you want?”

Kalen chuckled—Magnus almost found it funny how  _ evil _ of a laugh the man had—and shrugged gently, not moving his arms enough for the gun to slip from its position over Julia’s temple, “I want… I want us to be friends.”

It was Magnus’ turn to laugh, a sharp exhale with just enough malice to make Kalen’s eyebrow twitch. Slowly, Magnus shook his head, “you should have thought of that before you barged in here with a gun and took a hostage then, huh?”

“Oh, I’m more than willing to let her go. Once you agree to my terms, that is.” Kalen’s cocky grin had grown; Magnus had to admit, the man was quite good at hiding his fear behind his disgusting smile, although his fear was still present in his widened pupils and the beads of sweat at his hairline.

“No negotiations, I’m presuming?”

“Of course not. I  _ am  _ the governor.  _ You’re _ just a carpenter.”

Magnus fought the sudden burst of rage that rose in his throat, “What are your terms then,  _ Mister Governor? _ ”

“I want… well, I want a truce, of sorts.”

“A truce?” Magnus repeated, his eyebrow raising in disbelief.

“Yes! I’m sure you want one as well, correct?” As Kalen spoke, the arm he held around Julia began to relax ever so slightly--it was unlikely Kalen noticed, but Magnus did. So did Julia, clearly, as she took it as an opportunity. Just as quickly as she had been grabbed, Julia pushed herself upward with as much momentum as she could muster still pressed against the governor’s chest, catching Kalen’s chin with the top of her head. Magnus watched the realization dawn on Kalen a millisecond too late, and couldn’t help but smile as the force of the impact sent Kalen backward and onto the floor, his gun clattering on the ground beside him. His head hit the floor of the shop with a sharp  _ thud _ that echoed through the room for a moment before becoming still.

For a moment, the Hammer and Tongs was as quiet as it had been before; Magnus waited in silence, as did Julia, for any sound from the governor now sprawled on the shop floor. All that filled the air was the gentle sounds of breathing, although Magnus truly couldn’t tell if they were coming from the governor, Julia, or even himself.

Julia was the first to move; she bent down, placing her ring and middle finger under the governor's nose. She sighed, “Still alive.”

“ _ Damnit _ .”

“Don’t worry. There’ll come a better time.”

Magnus moved towards her, falling to his knees beside Kalen. Beside  _ Julia _ . “I guess. For now, though…”

“We have a body to dispose of!” Julia grinned, clearly forming a plan. She turned to Magnus, her eyes shining almost silver in the moonlight, “Grab his gun. He doesn’t need it anymore.”

Quickly, almost as if afraid Kalen would wake and grab it first, Magnus moved towards the gun, sliding it into his pocket before turning back towards Julia. “Do you have a plan?” Magnus asked.

A playful grin tugged at the corners of Julia’s mouth, “I think I do. Let’s go humiliate the governor.”

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always appreciated <3<3
> 
> you can find me on tumblr @/greecllings and on twitter @/greedlings_ !


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